The Old Team
by BigBadWolfTardis
Summary: What if when Ari fired that day he hit Kate in the chest? What if she managed to survive that injury? How might everything have turned out instead? What if she got to live the life that was so cruelly stolen from her? A rewrite of NCIS post-series 2 to include Kate.
1. Twilight, Agent Down

**Hey! Yup, another one! Really trying to get a few more started to inspire me to write up my ideas rather than sitting on them for ages, and this one has been in my brain for months : ) So, season three and beyond with Kate, I loved Kate and I wished she'd never left, but I love Ziva too, so she'll be in this as well, yay! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please remember that NCIS is not mine : )**

**...**

**Twilight**

**Twilight - Agent Down **

Kate let out a low sigh as she absent-mindedly fiddled with her gun. She tended to do that when she was nervous, and boy was she nervous right now.

Caitlin 'Kate' Todd, special agent of NCIS, was part of a four piece team, and right now she and her teammates were all in a black agency car, with her boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs driving the car in his usual impatient and reckless style.

She was sitting behind him in the back, next to a particularly green looking Mcgee, whilst Tony sat in the front passenger seat. They were on their way to a show down between themselves and a terrorist group, led by the biggest bastard she had ever met, Ari Haswari. He'd already held her hostage twice, so of course she was nervous about facing him down again. But this time he'd better be ready for her, this time, he was NOT going to get away!

They had driven in silence for the most part, after managing to locate Ari's location. Now they just had to wait until they reached their destination. She hoped that they'd make it in time. They still didn't even know the target for his attack!

'Do you know how to work that if we have to jam the drone McGee?' Gibbs suddenly asked from the front. Kate turned away from the window to listen as Mcgee took a deep breath before replying.

'Ur… well, Abby explained it to me but I've gotta be honest with you, boss. I…' McGee trailed off as suddenly Gibbs took his hands of the wheel and turned around, trying to pluck the bulky computer that Mcgee was holding out of his hands.

Tony lunged for the wheel and steered them straight again when they began to go off the road. Kate rolled her eyes, that was so typical of Gibbs to do something so needlessly reckless.

'I'll figure it out!' McGee said quickly; scared not only of Gibb's temper but his driving skills. Secretly Kate was too, but she was able to hide it much better than poor McGee. Gibbs scowled and turned back around, focusing on driving again, much to the other three's relief.

'What's today's date, Kate?' Tony suddenly asked her. She quickly checked her watch which conveniently displayed the date as well as the time.

'May 24th' she told him, not really understanding why he wanted to know.

'Paula Cassidy's ship gets back from the Gulf today. We're hooking up this weekend' he said smugly. Kate frowned slightly. That was Tony in a nutshell, they were on their way to take out a terrorist cell, and what was he talking about, his mess of a part-time relationship with Paula Cassidy, typical!

'Well, don't you think you should concentrate on the terrorist attack first?' she reminded him snidely.

'The whole Marine amphibious strike group returns today, Kate. Five ships, all of them headed to Norfolk' Tony countered with. Kate sighed slightly. She hated to admit it, but perhaps Tony had a point, and if he did, than it looked like they knew Ari's target now.

'Tony, I doubt that a drone, even one packed with explosives, could do any real damage to a warship' McGee pointed out, slightly smugly.

'The pier will be packed with Navy families, McGee' Gibbs said softly. Kate nodded. That definitely had to be Ari's target.

'Welcoming them home' Tony added.

'Well let's go stop them' Kate said determinedly, and Gibbs put his foot down. He drove faster and faster, they had to get there in time to stop this, they just had too!

When they arrived at the area they had traced Ari's gang too, Gibbs skidded to a stop and the four of them exited the car, McGee bringing the jammer out with him. They all looked around at the derelict buildings, trying to determine the best point of entry to each warehouse.

'You figured it out?' Gibbs asked McGee, who thankfully had managed to work it out in the car.

'I did. The drone is on one of three radio frequencies. It'll take a few minutes to jam each of them but when I hit the freq it's on, the drone should go off-target' McGee explained before Gibbs turned towards Kate, who had just pulled a shotgun from the trunk of the car.

'It's gonna take hours to search these warehouses, boss' Tony pointed out, a light whine in his voice. Kate knew he was right though, and they were running out of time.

'Give me the shotgun' Gibbs ordered and she turned it over to him. He held it up high and aimed at a light hanging from one of the buildings. He fired and the bulb shattered as his aim was dead on.

Suddenly there was a loud shout above them and looking up, they saw on the roof of a neighbouring building one of the terrorists appear, a machine gun in hand. Gibbs span the gun around and fired at him before he spotted them. With a yell of pain, the man fell back out of sight, Gibbs' having shot him in the chest.

'Tony, take the fire escape' he ordered, pointing towards an old rusty ladder running up the side of the building.

'Kate, with me. McGee, start jamming' he ordered as McGee set up the computer on the ground, and he and Kate rushed off into the building.

Kate held her shotgun, which Gibbs had returned to her in favour of his own hand-held gun, up high and bravely ran through a fire door, keeping her guard up in case of an ambush. Gibbs was right behind her as they ventured into the damp dark dusty warehouse.

She ducked low behind some wooden pallets and a white car and Gibbs quickly crouched down next to her behind it. Suddenly another terrorist was firing at them with a machine gun, and they quickly returned fire. Kate didn't like shooting people, it wasn't fun, but she knew it was sometimes necessary. That didn't mean she found any pleasure it in.

For several minutes she and Gibbs kept firing at the man, who was hidden behind a pillar holding the roof up which presented them with a challenge, all the whilst the windows and the lights of the car they were behind exploded, raining glass down on them both.

When they shot again at him, the terrorist dodged behind some cardboard boxes, running to get a better vantage point on them. But Kate and Gibbs were determined that that was NOT going to happen!

'Boss they fired the drone' McGee's worried voice came over their earpieces.

'Jam it McGee!' Gibbs shouted to be heard as he kept shooting whilst he and Kate ran through a door and up some stairs to get up to the next level.

'Got one down, boss. No visual on anyone else' Tony's voice came over the line, just as Kate and Gibbs reached the doorway which would lead them out onto the roof. Kate took another deep breath, showtime!

'Let's do it' Gibbs gave the signal, before pushing the door wide open and he stepped out.

The firing started instantly, and Gibbs ducked behind part of the roof which was raised. Kate took cover inside the stairwell. She cautiously poked her head out and fired at the guy who had shot at Gibbs.

Another voice was shouting something in a different language but right now she didn't care. The adrenaline was keeping her going for now, which was good because it kept her on top of her game, which was exactly where she needed to be right now.

Suddenly the man was hit by someone else shooting, and when both Kate and Gibbs fired at him too, he fell to the ground, bullet holes covering his body as blood leaked from them. He collapsed to the ground, dead before he hit the floor.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, she stepped out and saw that it was Tony that had fired first at the dead man. He and Gibbs both darted across the roof top and spotted a man at a computer, obviously the one in control of the drone. They started firing as he turned and spotted them, and between them the two men made short work of him.

They ran over to the beeping computer, and whilst Tony took the man's gun and moved it away from him, keeping his own gun trained on the man, Gibbs turned to the device responsible for all of this.

'Clear' Tony confirmed him to be dead. Gibbs looked at the screen. It was displaying the pier, with a red tracker on it, guiding the drone right to where all the families of the navy were.

'McGee, this thing is still flying!' he cried in annoyance.

'Okay, one freq down, two to go' McGee's voice replied over the earpieces. Kate let out a sigh of frustration as she began to cross the roof. He needed to go faster or it would be too late!

Suddenly they all heard more gunshots and a cry from McGee, but judging from the sound of more firing, it seemed as though McGee was shooting back. Kate prayed that he hadn't been hurt. Despite all the coldness and teasing the team would throw at each other, they did all genuinely care about one another, and McGee was more innocent than the other three, so Kate was a little bit more protective over him than Gibbs and Tony.

'Boss, one of them shot my transmitter!' McGee's voice said frantically.

'You know how to fly this thing?' Tony asked with narrowed eyebrows.

'No, but I know how to crash it' Gibbs shook his head, before taking a step back and firing at the computer, destroying it completely. And judging by the fact that they wasn't a massive explosion somewhere in the distance, it seemed to do the trick.

Before Tony could blink, Gibbs had run over to the edge of the roof, overlooking their car where McGee was situation, but he couldn't see him, which worried him.

'McGee, are you okay?' he asked over his earpiece.

'I got one terrorist inside! I don't know if I got him, but he stopped shooting' came McGee's reply.

'Hold your position, we'll flush him' Gibbs ordered.

'Okay' was the reply he got from the youngest agent as he quickly checked the ammunition on his gun.

'I'm out' he told Tony, and Kate who had just reached their position.

'Me too' she said, checking her shotgun. Tony quickly passed Gibbs another pack for his gun. Neither of the men saw a door creak open, they didn't see the man on the other with his gun trained on them. But thankfully, Kate did.

'SHOOTER!' she screamed as she threw herself in front of Gibbs. He was her boss, she respected him and admired him, and there was no way she was going to let him get shot! No way! It was her duty to protect him and the others, along with the nation, and she'd be damned if she let any of them down!

She groaned when the bullet hit her and she fell to the ground with a low thud. She curled up in pain, but thankfully her vest her saved her, the bullet hadn't reached her flesh.

Gibbs and Tony both fired at the man, and easily took him out. He fell out the door and flat on his face. Once certain he was dead, they both turned to their fallen teammate.

'Kate?' Gibbs said worriedly, rushing over to her and Tony helped him turned her on her back. Gibbs unzipped her jacket, and let out a sigh of relief when he noticed that the bullet was lodged in her bullet proof vest rather than her body.

'You okay?' Tony asked, smiling down at her.

'Ow! I just got shot at point-blank range, DiNozzo. What do you think?' she asked sarcastically from where she lay on the ground.

'That you're not gonna be going to Pilates class tomorrow?' he joked.

'Oh… Urrr' she groaned in pain as they both helped her to her feet.

'Protection detail is over, Kate' Gibbs told her as he righted her on her feet. That had been part of their latest mission. Ari was supposedly after Gibbs again, and she had been ordered protect him with her life, which she would gladly do for the man.

'You did good' Tony grinned at her and she couldn't help but smile. Tony always had a way of making her smile, whether it be in annoyance, sarcastically, or genuinely.

'For once, DiNozzo is right' Gibbs admitted and Kate let out a laugh as she began taking off her protective vest.

'Wow! I thought I'd die before I ever heard a … Ah!' she screamed out as suddenly there was another single gunshot. Kate hit the ground as pain blazed through her body and she felt like she was on fire.

She hit the ground with another dull thud as blood leaked out from under her. She whimpered as she tried to look at her body, and saw a wide gaping hole in her chest, just a few inches above her heart. Any lower and it would have punctured it!

_Someone had shot her through the chest!_

Tony fell to the ground beside her, grabbing her hand in his, kneeling next to her, looking panicked.

'Kate?!' he yelled in terror, looking at her chest, her wound, a horrified expression lining his face.

Kate blinked wearily up at him, slightly touched by the amount of concern in his voice. Or maybe it was just the pain shooting through her body, making her think he was concerned. No, she'd been shot; of course Tony would be worried about her, just like when she'd been terrified he was dying from the plague.

She began to see spots and everything went blurring. Her hearing went all fuzzy and she was having a hard time focusing on anything, it just… hurt so much! It was agony, pure and utter hell! And the blood, there was so much of it; her clothes and flesh were drench in it. Tony was also covered in her blood as he held onto her hands, willing her to be brave, praying for her to hold on. She thought she heard him calling her name over and over, but as she faded into the darkness gripping at her mind, she couldn't be sure of anything.

Besides the dying woman and the desperate man, Gibbs span on the spot and held up his gun, aiming it in the direction the shot had been fired from. A high rise white building not too far from them

'Ari' he whispered to himself. Tony just kept staring at Kate's beautiful face stained with so much red; worry, panic and despair in his eyes as she slowly bled to death across the floor, weak and critically injured, but miraculously still alive… only just.

**...**

**And there's the alternate ending of Twiglight. So, I hope it's got a few people interested in this story, and I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. I see this story housing every season three episode and probably season four before I start a new one going beyond. Anyway, hope you liked : )**


	2. Don't Leave Me

**And right into the second one! So, I made this little scene up just because I felt it would be wrong to just jump from Kate surviving straight into the team trying to find Ari, plus I wanted to show Tony being sweet to Kate, so I hope you like this : ) NCIS isn't mine, and now onto the chapter!**

**...**

**Don't Leave Me **

Gibbs immediately leaped into action. The elder man quickly drew out his cell phone and rang the number he needed. The receptionist answered instantly.

'911 emergency' the female voice said.

'I've got a Special Agent with a serious gunshot wound to the chest. She's still breathing but she'd losing a lot of blood' Gibbs explained calmly.

'Come on Kate, don't do this, come on!' Tony was shouting next to him, supporting her head in an attempt to keep her airways clear. Kate's breathing was becoming sharp and irregular as she began to flit in and out of consciousness. She was mumbling and wasn't forming words, just weak noises that terrified Tony to hear.

As he kept an eye on his hot headed senior field agent, Gibbs calmly told the woman on the emergency line their location and their dire need of medical assistance.

'Boss! What's happening?! McGee voice was suddenly calling and turning, Gibbs saw his younger agent dashing out across the roof, his gun in his hands.

'Kate's been hit, it was Ari, he's shot her!' Gibbs said enraged as McGee reached them.

'Ari? My god, Kate!' Mcgee gasped, falling to his knees and helping Tony move their teammate into the recovery position.

'Kate, open your eyes for me' Gibbs crouched down near her head.

'Urrr… oh… Urrr' Kate mumbled incoherently. Her breathing sounded odd and strained, like her airways were being blocked. She didn't open her eyes.

'What's happening?' McGee asked desperately. They couldn't lose Kate! She was… Kate! She was so important to all of them! They couldn't lose her… they all fall apart!

'Her airways are being flooded with her own blood. Get on the radio and get that ambulance here now!' Gibbs shot at him. McGee quickly got to his watch and drew out his cell too, taking a few steps away and calling NCIS headquarters to get an ETA on the ambulance.

'Come on Kate, open your eyes, you can do it, I know you can, come on Kate, don't leave us like this' Tony was practically begging her as he gently cradled her close. His shirt and jeans were soaked with her blood but he couldn't care less.

Right now all he wanted was for his partner to open her eyes and tell him to stop being a moron. He'd never admit it, but he loved it when Kate teased him. It showed just how strong and amazing the woman was, how she wouldn't just take things lying down, even if it was all in good fun.

Kate weakly opened her eyes, looking up at Tony pleadingly. It was a heart breaking sight to witness.

'That it Katie, that's it. Keep your eyes nice and open' Tony whispered soothingly to her. By this time, McGee was putting his cell away and re-joining them.

'Boss, ETA on ambulance two minutes, I'll go down to meet them' McGee said, and with a confirming nod from Gibbs, the young agent hurried down to the ground floor.

'That's it Kate, they're nearly here. You're be in save hands soon Kate, just you wait, you'll see' Tony whispered to her as he gently rocked her back and forth. Kate's lips curled into the weakest smile as she continued to make irregular gasps from breath.

Gibbs was looking down at the fading woman in guilt. Kate had been hurt because of him. He had brought her there. It was because of his obsession with Ari that had dragged her down like this. He was the one to blame, but he'd make sure that bastard went to hell for _daring_ to hurt one of his agents, and that was a promise.

Gibbs turned away in shame when he heard the sound of racing footsteps, and looking up he breathed a small sigh of relief when he saw two paramedics sprinting towards them. One was holding a First Aid kit in her hand, the other carrying a stretcher on his back, with McGee bringing up the rear.

'Right, what's her name?' a man in his forties with a shaved head demanded of Tony.

'It's Kate, Kate Todd. See, I told you Kate, helps here, you'll be ok now' Tony whispered to her.

'Ok Kate, can you hear me Kate? Keep your eyes open for me ok?' the paramedic was saying to her, needing her to continue holding on if he was to help her.

'Urrr… Urrr' Kate mumbled again, her breathing still just as sharp and unpredictable.

'Sounds like her airways are compromised' the paramedic muttered, before turning to the blonde female paramedic next to him.

'Let's get a mask on her' he ordered and nodding she took an oxygen mask from the first aid kit, before pressing it to Kate's nose and mouth.

'Be gentle with her' Tony snapped as he carefully placed the band around Kate's head, being as gentle as he could.

'Right, let's get a look at that wound' the male paramedic said, gently shifting Kate away from Tony's body slightly so that he could inspect the wound. His face became even more serious than it had been moments before.

'Right, we need to get her to hospital immediately if she is to have any chance, let's get her on the stretch and down to the ambulance' he said seriously, beginning to unfold the stretcher. Gibbs knelt down to help him. The sooner they got Kate to hospital, the better her chances were.

'Be gentle, be gentle' Tony said quietly as they carefully placed Kate onto the stretcher.

'Right, on my count, lift her up. One, two, three' the paramedic counted before the four of them lifted Kate up on the stretcher, each holding a corner.

'McGee, get the door' Gibbs ordered as they headed for the doorway to get off the roof, carrying Kate smoothly between them.

McGee rushed over to ensure the journey down wouldn't be blocked by obstacles, and with a minute, they had reached the ground floor and were outside, Kate was being loaded into the back of the an ambulance.

'Boss I'm going with her' Tony said, heading towards the rear door of the emergency vehicle.

'Tony…' Gibbs started but was cut off. He was going to say that he, and Kate, needed him to do his job right now, but Tony was having none of it.

'It wasn't a request sir' Tony growled out without turning around as he climbed up into the ambulance as the stretcher with Kate on it was being secured by the paramedics. Gibbs let out a low sigh. Of course Tony would want to go with Kate. She was his partner, and even partners that argued like Tony and Kate did still cared, a LOT for each other.

'Ok… don't let anyone near her. I want armed guards around her bed… hell the entire hospital. Ari is behind this I'm sure and I'm not letting him without twenty miles of her now, so you stick to her like glue, got that?' Gibbs ordered angrily.

'Got it' Tony nodded as the doors were closed. Gibbs let out one more sigh as he watched the ambulance speeding away.

'Hold on Kate. I'll get that bastard for you, I'll get him this time' Gibbs promised both Kate and himself.

…

Tony couldn't help but shake slightly as he gripped Kate's hand tightly. She looked so helpless and weak, and she was still having difficulty breathing properly. Her airways were still obstructed. They needed to get there soon if she was going to be strong even to survive.

'Come on you can go faster than this!' he yelled to the driver.

'T… Tony…' Kate managed to gasp out. Instantly Tony was close to her face, listening to anything else she make say.

'Tell my… family… I…' she started coughing before she could finish. Tony's face paled. She was asking him to deliver her goodbyes!

'Oh Kate don't do that… please don't. You can't leave me, please don't leave me, who's gonna protect my ass from Gibbs' he said weakly, trying to joke but it came out pitifully. Kate managed a weak chuckled.

'You… can hold… your own… Tony' she said quietly, her voice so weak now.

'You just hold on, you hear me? I won't be delivering any final goodbyes yet, not for a very long time yet, you understand?' Tony asked playfully-sternly.

'Okay… I'll try… not to… need to … ask again' Kate managed to laugh before she was hit with another coughing fit. Her eyes flickered and began to close again.

'Kate? Kate?' Tony asked gently. She didn't reply to him, but she was still breathing, still hanging on for now, but Tony was horrified to realise that her time was running out.

…

The world was just a jumble of blurry shapes and colours and sounds to Kate as she was wheeled up a painfully white corridor. All she could feel was pain. She didn't have the strength to talk again, but the one constant thing she could feel other than the pain shooting through her was Tony's hand holding her's.

She had to admit, it was giving her a lot of comfort, having Tony by her side. She had known how much comfort she'd been able to offer him when he was infected with the plague, and now she understood their relationship better too, even if it could just be her muddled mess of thoughts since she herself was dying. They would also be there to support each other, when they needed it.

She let a small smile grace her lips and once again she slipped into unconsciousness.

…

'Kate, we're here, we're here, you're gonna be fine, you hear me, you'll be just fine now' Tony said comfortingly as he rushed up the corridor to carry on holding her hand as she was wheeled along to the operating theatre.

'You'll have to wait here I'm afraid' a doctor said to Tony, who looked up and glared at him.

'I'm not leaving her! She needs me!' he growled at the man who dared to try and make him leave Kate's side.

'Sir, you cannot be present in the operating theatre. You can wait outside but I cannot permit you to be in there whilst we operate' the doctor said, not budging an inch. Tony growled in annoyance.

'Fine, but I swear she dies in there and I'm not there to hold her hand, I'll make you regret it every day for the rest of your life… got it?!' Tony fumed in annoyance. He felt so helpless as he watched Kate being wheeled through a set of large metal doors and out of sight.

With nothing left to do, Tony sank into a chair and did something he hadn't done in years. He prayed.

…

With his head resting in his hands, and his elbows on his knees, Tony let a single tear fall as his thoughts kept coming round to Kate. He just couldn't help but feel terror every time he thought of Kate not making it. The relationship between two special agent partners was a unique one. You trusted each other day in and day out with your very life. The thought of losing your partner was awful, because in a way, knowing their protection wasn't going to be there anymore, it left you so vulnerable, and that was something Tony hated feeling.

He nearly jumped a foot into the air when a voice suddenly spoke over him.

'Hey, stop sitting there feeling sorry for yourself and get your butt into gear' Gibbs said as Tony looked up at him in surprize.

'When did you get here?' he asked in bewilderment.

'About ten minutes ago. McGee's sweeping the area to try and find Ari's sniper nest, and I need you to go give him direction' Gibbs told him sternly.

'What about Kate?' Tony glared at him. He didn't want to leave her. She needed him!

'The only thing you can do for Kate now Tony is to go out there and catch the bastard' Gibbs told him in a soft but firm voice.

'And what if he turns up here to finish the job?' Tony demanded.

'He won't. Kate's out of theatre now and under armed guard in a windowless ward. There're armed officers stationed around every side of this hospital. Nobody who isn't on the list is allowed to see her. Every doctor and nurse will be searched before they treat her. Nobody is going to be able to get to her here, I promise you that' Gibbs told him. Tony felt a little bit calmer… but only a little.

'And the operation?' he wanted to know.

'Well… they got the bullet out, now it's just a matter of time. The sooner she wakes up, the stronger her chances' Gibbs said softly.

'What about her parents? Her sister? Her Brothers?' he went onto ask.

'I got McGee to contact them all. They're all on their way over but it'll take them until at least tomorrow night to get into Washington, and then even longer until they reach the hospital. They all live so far away…' Gibbs trailed off. Kate was a little distance from her family, but he knew she well enough to know that she'd want them there now.

'Can I see her, before I go help McGee?' Tony asked, and Gibbs nodded. He could see how much Tony needed to see her, so of course as his boss he'd let him. Tony smiled in thanks before he slipped into the ward.

He quickly flashed his badge and ID at the silent armed guards before they backed down and let him approach. He sat in a chair next to her bed, his eyes looking her up and down.

Kate's eyes were closed, and a tube supporting her breathing had been placed in her mouth. She was connected up to a monitor, and the gradual beeping of her heart gave Tony a feeling of reassurance he'd never thought possible. She was pale, but the blood had been cleaned off her skin, so she didn't look as deathly as she had on the roof.

'Hey Kate, it's Tony. Listen to me, I promise you, me and the team, we're gonna get this bastard for you. So you just sleep now Kate, and when you wake up, you'll be happy to know that piece of scum can't ever hurt you or anyone else ever again. I promise you, I'll get him' he whispered to her before he placed a soft kiss to her forehead. Giving her hand one last squeeze, Tony stood up and turned. He stormed towards the door and out into the corridor, not noticing Gibbs enter Kate's ward himself as he walked away.

He had only one thing on his mind right now. To find and kill Ari Haswari.

**...**

**And that's the next part. So, the next chapter we'll get into 'Kill Ari' but I'm still writing it so it'll probably be a couple of days : ) I hope you'll like the beginning of this story so far and please leave me a review to tell me what is good or could be better : )**


	3. Kill Ari (Part 1), Guilt and Visions

**And here's chapter three : ) Not much to say other than I hope you all enjoy, and please remember that NCIS and its characters and episodes are not mine : )**

**...**

**Kill Ari (Part 1)**

**Kill Ari (Part 1) – Guilt and Visions **

Night had fallen and a storm had moved in, battering the land with harsh rain. It was ironic really, how much the rain looked like tears, and for the first time since the deaths of his wife and daughter, Gibbs wanted nothing more than to break down and cry.

Kate was lying in a hospital bed because of him. Now he wasn't a stranger to death, and sadly not when it came to his own people. He'd lost men before, good men, but Kate was different. Kate was the one he didn't have to hide away from.

He was tough on her, he'd admit, just like he was with the rest of them, but he'd offered her a place on his team, despite being a total newbie to investigating crime scenes. He had asked for a newbie! And that was just something he didn't do. At least not until he met Kate. Because she had been different. He had seen her potential, and now just over a year later, she had surpassed that potential and taken it to a whole new level. She was one of the finest agents he had ever served with. He was proud to call her part of his team, and his friend.

And that was why he felt such terrible guilt now. He had failed her. The one who had never failed him, and he had failed to keep her safe. He should have known Ari had lured him there as a trap, he should have gone alone, and now, thanks to his own stupid determination to have revenge on the bastard, Kate was paying the price, in terrible pain and on the verge of eternal darkness. If she died… he didn't think he'd be able to live with himself.

But no, he couldn't break down and cry, he did not have that luxury. He had to set things right. Ari was still out there somewhere, and he was still as dangerous as ever. And whilst he was out there, Kate wouldn't be safe. He had failed her once, but he wouldn't fail her again. He would get that bastard and end this once and for all, his Kate's and for his own sake's.

He rubbed his eyes wearily as he tried to focus. He was sitting at his desk in his squad room, but he just couldn't focus on his computer. His eyes drifted over to Kate's empty desk.

_(Why me Gibbs?'_) A voice suddenly asked and he looked up. He blinked in disbelief. His mind and his guilt were obvious taunting him. Because Kate was stood there, and in a pool of blood oozing down her chest was her bullet wound. He knew he was imagining her presence, but right now he was so tired he didn't care.

_(Wasn't stopping one bullet enough for you? Why did I have to take two)_ 'Kate' asked angrily, making him feel even worse about his failure to her.

'I don't know' he admitted softly, his voice harsh with repressed tears and guilt.

_(You don't know? Come on Gibbs, what's that famous gut telling you?) _She asked, taunting him further, making him feel the pain the real her was currently going through. After all, it had been his damn gut which had led them all into the trap in the first place.

_(Why did am I the one lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines and god knows what else, broken and dying instead of you?)_ 'Kate' all but screamed at him.

Suddenly the elevator dinged and 'Kate' vanished as Gibbs looked over at the opening metal doors, seeing Tony and McGee, both drenched to the bone, emerge into the nice warm dry office.

'Found Ari's snipers nest, boss' Tony said as he entered Gibbs' 'Office', pulling the man out of his dark thoughts for the moment.

'Roof up in an abandoned office building to the east' McGee elaborated when Tony didn't.

'Didn't police his brass' Tony added, holding an exhibit bag out to Gibbs, holding three evidence jars, each with small golden casing of separate bullets inside. Gibbs held them under his lamp which was set on his desk, trying to read the tiny writing on the golden surfaces.

'They're Lapua 308's. Why...Uh...I didn't mean that you couldn't that boss' McGee suddenly stumbled over his words, afraid of annoying Gibbs at this awful time. But it seemed as though Gibbs just couldn't summon up his usual spark and temper, not today.

'I can't without my glasses. Lapua's match grade sniper ammo, you guys find any bullets?' Gibbs asked as he walked over to the window, holding the casings up high, trying to get a better visual examination of them in the darkened office.

'Uh, non that matched the casings; I left three guys on the roof searching' Tony replied. He felt as strongly as Gibbs about this, stronger even in fact. He felt guilty too. After all, Kate is his partner, it's his job to have her back but this time he didn't, so he'd do anything he could to catch the little piece of shit which had _dared_ to hurt her. And with that thought in mind, he no longer cared about the pouring rain or the cold. He just needed to do something!

'McGee and I will go back up to the roof, boss' he said, making to walk back out again. Gibbs span around and Tony flinched, expecting to be head slapped for having returned before the search had ended, but to his immense surprize, it wasn't a head slap he received.

'Tony, your soaking wet, go put some dry clothes on' Gibbs said to him kindly, patting him on the back. Tony frowned. Gibbs was being too nice… too calm over this. Kate was dying; he was the one who wanted Ari dead, so why was he being so nice and calm now? Was it because he didn't want anybody else to end up in hospital next to Kate? It made sense.

He watched as Gibbs went to the window and stood looking out at the rain.

'Ari's rooftop wasn't much higher than ours; rooflines behind us were lower. No telling how far a full metal jacket would go after wounding Kate' Gibbs noted aloud.

'How does he know it's a full metal jacket?' McGee turned to Tony in confusion.

'Didn't you see Kate's wound?' Tony frowned at him.

'I didn't really want to look' McGee admitted.

'The skin around the wound was intact' Tony explained.

'So, it wasn't too bad?' McGee asked, hope lining his voice. Of course he knew getting shot was terrible and was so dangerous, but if the wound wasn't too bad… maybe it would give them hope for Kate.

'No, no not at all Probie. In fact, a little glue and some stitches right in her chest, she'll be good as new. Course she was experiencing some heart burn though, and her back was aching from where she fell, cause a full metal jacket put a hole the size of a grape fruit right about there' Tony growled angrily, poking McGee hard in the chest, roughly where Kate's injury was.

'Tony, please?' McGee said pleadingly, and Tony sighed. He shouldn't be too hard on the guy. He'd never lost a teammate before; he didn't know how to manage the pain. And they hadn't even lost Kate yet so until they did, Tony was going to act as if she was already making a full recovery. If he wished for it hard enough… then it might just come true.

'I'm sorry kid' he offered McGee in a softer voice.

'Three rounds. Only one hit?' Gibbs called over from his position by the window.

'Well, he must have popped off a couple rounds when you were weaving across the roof.' Tony shrugged in response.

'I was standing still when Kate was shot' Gibbs shook his head.

'McGee lasered the distance at nearly 600 meters' Tony told him.

'572' McGee clarified and Tony shot him an annoyed look but didn't comment.

'Slight shift in the wind, he misses you, he hits Kate' Tony added. Gibbs frowned though as he thought back to when they had been on the rooftop. An American flag had hung on a pole on the roof. When Kate had been fired upon, it was completely still... he hadn't missed due to the wind, because…

'There was no wind' Gibbs said with certainty.

'What are you saying, he was aiming at Kate? You're the one he wants to kill' Tony argued.

'Maybe he's prolonging the pain for you. Taking out your team to get to you. But then, why isn't Kate dead? Surely killing her would have made it feel worse for you' McGee mused aloud.

'Oh what, you saying the bastard should have killed Kate, are you McGee? Cause it still might happen!' Tony glared angrily at him.

'No Tony that's not what I meant' McGee shot back.

'He's right Tony. Why not kill her with a head shot? Ari is highly trained if nothing else. If he was aiming to kill Kate she'd be dead not fighting for her life' Gibbs said thoughtfully, trying to make sense of it.

'Ari does have a thing for Kate. Maybe that's why he didn't kill her' McGee suggested.

'What are you talking about?' Tony frowned at him.

'Well she told me that he was always coming on to her...in autopsy; when he kidnapped her and let her go...' McGee shrugged.

'She never told me that' Tony scowled, feeling a little hurt that Kate hadn't confided in him about her encounters with that psycho.

'Gee, what a surprise' McGee muttered sarcastically.

'What?!' Tony snapped at him, before slapping him over the back of the head in the tradition 'Gibbs-slap' way.

'Don't do that, Tony' Gibbs said tiredly from his position back by his desk. He was examining the jammer which McGee had been using to try to stop the drone. Actually he was looking at the wreckage of it. It had two large gapping bullet holes in it and wires were falling out of the destroyed device.

'When was this hit, Tim?' he suddenly asked. McGee frowned. It was very rare of Gibbs, or any of the team, to call him by his first name. It felt… kind of nice. He'd always felt a little insecure in the team. After all, Gibbs always called DiNozzo and Todd Tony and Kate so why did he not get his first name too? He quickly pulled himself out of those thoughts and replied to Gibbs' question.

'When I was pinned down' he shrugged. Gibbs paused, deep in thought again, before looking back up at him.

'Ari have a shot at it?' he asked and McGee's eyes widened in realisation. He had thought it had been the terrorist firing at him, but it couldn't have been. The jammer had been hidden behind the car at the time!

'Our car was between the terrorist and the controller there's no way he could have hit it. Boss, I'm...I'm sorry. I should've realized that it was Ari' McGee stammered.

'Why didn't he pop McGee too? Like you said if he's trying to get to you, why not make it McGee _and_ Kate lying fighting to live' Tony mused aloud.

'Oh, thanks, Tony' McGee shot at him sarcastically.

'All I'm saying is, you're a sizable target, the controller isn't' Tony shrugged in response.

'You saying I'm fat?' McGee huffed indignantly.

'No...I mean, maybe a little around the waist, under the chin' Tony teased, lightly poking McGee's belly.

'He didn't have an angle on Tim' Gibbs commented though he wasn't looking at them, more at the evidence jars with the casings and the controller.

'Well, you owe that shooter from the warehouse a "thank you." He might have saved your life if Ari was going to hospitalise you too' Tony noted.

'The bullet entered here. It could have ricocheted into the car' Gibbs stated.

'I'll...I'll get on it' McGee nodded at him.

'Abby should be in by now. Tony...see what she can pull off that brass' Gibbs said, handing the evidence bag back to Tony.

'I'm going for coffee. Can I get you boys some?' he suddenly offered. Both men just blinked in shock. Gibbs _never_ offered to get them coffee!

'No' Tony said after a moment's pause.

'No, thanks' McGee shook his head. Gibbs nodded at them before heading towards the elevator, leaving the two men staring after him.

'That's a first' Tony commented dryly.

'He called me Tim' McGee noted.

'He patted my back' Tony added.

'It was kinda nice' McGee admitted.

'Nice?! I don't want nice. He's not Gibbs if he's nice' Tony frowned. Gibbs was acting like this because he felt guilty that Kate was hurt, even though it wasn't his fault. Ari was the bastard, he was the scum that had hurt Kate, they should be blaming him, not themselves! He'd have to get Gibbs angry again, set him back on track if they wanted the chance of killing the bastard this time around.

…

Abby Scuito was known for being sensitive. Despite being a Goth, she had the most positive outlook on life one could wish for, she was hyper and caring and sweet, but right now happy was the last thing she felt. She felt terrible, sick to her stomach with worry.

When McGee had rung her cell and told her what had happened, her mind had immediately went into a panic and she drove through the streets like a maniac, barely breaking until she reached her destination. Then she had sprinted from her car, a difficult feat considering she wore platform boots, without even bothering to lock it and had darted around doctors and nurses, all of whom were looking at the woman dressed in black in bewilderment.

Like a hurricane, she barged into a ward, causing quite a stir.

'Hey! Who the hell are you?!' an armed guard demanded of her. Abby glared back at him.

'Your worst nightmare, unless you get out of my way' she shot as him, pushing back him roughly. She froze when she caught sight of Kate. She was deathly pale and the monitor kept beating with long pauses beneath them. It was clear that Kate's heart was slower than it should have been.

'Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!' she whimpered as she rushed over to Kate's bedside, tenderly taking the injured woman's hand in her own. Kate stirred ever so slightly, and Abby waited with baited breath but she didn't wake. But at least she was still alive.

'I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave ma'am. This woman is under protective guard. Only members of her family and her federal agent colleagues are allowed to see her' one of the armed guards side gruffly. Abby looked up at him coldly.

'Listen you big … jerk! I am her colleague! And she just so happens to be one of my best friends! So shut up, and back off' she told him angrily. The man sighed, before he went to approach her, probably to forcefully remove her from Kate's private ward. Abby glared up at him, practically daring him to touch her, when suddenly her cell phone began ringing. Ignoring the guard, and the nurse who had just came in telling her to turn it off, Abby answered the call.

'Abby, where are you?' Tony's voice asked her.

'At the hospital, visiting Kate. Where else?' Abby said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

'Well get over here now. We've got work to do if we want to find the bastard that put her there' Tony told her snappishly.

'But Tony I…' she started angrily but was cut off.

'Look, Abby, I wanted to stay too… but Gibbs is right in what he told me. Kate will be safe from Ari there; we need to start working on bringing him down once and for all. And for that, we need you, Kate needs you to do your job right now' Tony told her, trying to sound as kind and understanding as possible. It wasn't too hard at that moment, since secretly he wished he was by Kate's side too.

Abby let out a sigh. Tony was right. If she was going to help bring down the jerk that did this to her friend, she was needed at NCIS.

'Ok… I'm on my way' she gave in before hanging up. She stood up from her chair and approached the guard, glaring at him venomously.

'If anything happens to her, I'm holding you personally responsible twice, and I'll poison you without leaving a single trace, and believe me, I can, slowly and painfully, got it?' she asked coldly. The guard gulped slightly before nodding weakly.

'Good' and with that Abby stormed from the hospital all the way back to her car. She had a job to do, and when Kate woke up she wanted to be able to tell her that the bastard that had done this was lying in one of Ducky's coolers.

…

When Abby got to her lab fifteen minutes later, she found that she just wasn't ready to begin quite yet. She low out a low sigh before collapsing into a chair at her computer. She placed her elbows on the metal desk and let her head rest in her hands, letting a few tears fall.

She'd never felt quite as scared as when she had seen Kate lying in that hospital bed. She'd seen so many horrible things in her line of work, bodies and blood and organs and tissues, but it was the living that frightened her more, not the dead. She was terrified that people alive that she loved would one day not be there anymore. She let out another sigh. Kate couldn't die, she just couldn't!

And then, as if somehow Abby's thoughts had brought her to her, she jumped when she heard a voice behind her. Looking around, she gawked at what she saw. That was just… impossible.

_(You're a mess girl)_ 'Kate' said to her. She was dressed in a purplish-red dress, had dark makeup on… and long blonde hair which was very weird, in a totally dark, cool and gothic way.

_(Red eyes, no makeup, if ever there was a time for black lipstick, it's now)_ 'Kate' told her. Abby knew that Kate was lying in a hospital bed so it wasn't her, but right now she didn't care, and just did what 'Kate' told her, beginning to put on her black lipstick.

_(Remember when we first met?)_ 'Kate' asked her. Abby laughed slightly.

'Of course I do! The look on your face, it took everything in me not to burst out laughing' Abby laughed.

_(Haha. I couldn't believe you were a forensic scientist. I thought Goths had bats for pets, or vice-versa)_ 'Kate' chuckled.

'I really like you, Kate. You're my best friend… don't die, please don't die' Abby sobbed.

_(Don't start that again, where are your pigtails? I love you in pigtails)_ 'Kate' said soothingly to her. Abby wiped at her eyes and began to tie her pigtails up. 'Kate' smiled at her.

_(That's better. You are persistent, Abs, I'll give you that. First the dark lipstick, then the black fingernail polish, next thing you know, I have a tat on my bum)_ 'Kate' giggled, and Abby began laughing. Suddenly 'Kate' stopped laughing.

_(Oh… my… god! If I don't make it, Ducky will see it_!) 'Kate' cried before the two girls howled with laughter.

'You'd better make sure you pull through then' Abby told her in amusement yet still serious at the same time.

_(I know! I'd hate to be dead AND embarrassed! That'd totally suck!)_ 'Kate' grinned at her.

'Totally!' Abby agreed before they laughed again. Abby was still laughing as 'Kate' faded away when a new voice rung out from behind her.

'Totally what?' Tony asked her as he appeared in her lab's doorway. Abby span around to face him.

'Hey Tony. Oh, that was just… I was just talking to myself' Abby told him. She knew if she told him she'd been talking to Kate in her head he'd think she was mad, and to be honest, she wanted to keep that moment private. Maybe she'd tell Kate, the real Kate, about it when she woke up. Because she was going to wake up, she had too.

'You ok?' Tony asked her.

'I will be once Kate wakes up and we've caught that bastard. What can I do for you? What?' She asked again when he just stared at her.

'You're weirder than Gibbs' Tony mused aloud, because something about Abby was just… off, right now. It must have been because Kate was fighting for her life, she was worried she wouldn't make it. But Kate was strong, she'd pull through this.

'How so?' Abby asked him.

'He's being nice' Tony said as if that explained everything.

'Gibbs is always nice' Abby countered with. At least to her, he was always nice to her.

'To you and Ducky maybe, me he growls at and smacks on the head' Tony shook his head.

'Which makes you feel wanted' Abby pointed out.

'Yeah' Tony nodded in agreement, before Abby decided to get down to business.

'What do you got for me?' she asked again.

'308 casings from Ari's snipers nest' Tony smiled slightly, holding up the evidence bag with the slugs inside.

'You would have to give me the most popular calibre in the world' Abby rolled her eyes fondly.

'Well, hey. I just found them. Can you tell what weapon he used?' Tony wanted to know.

'A 308' Abby replied. He'd just told her that after all!

'What model 308?' Tony pressed her.

'You don't know?' Abby blinked. How the hell was she meant to answer that?!

'Would I be asking?' Tony rolled his eyes.

'Well, how I'm supposed to know?' Abby countered.

'Because you're the fire arms expert' Tony argued. Abby scoffed at him. She was good, but she wasn't a bloody miracle worker!

'That I am. And when I'm gone, I will tell you the propellant, the primer, the percentage of nickel and copper in the brass, whether or not all three rounds were fired from the same weapon, which you assume but I can prove or disprove. I will tell you who manufactured the ammo, the batch number, and perhaps where it was sold. I will also with some degree of accuracy tell you if it was fired from a lever action, a bolt action, a semi-automatic, or an automatic weapon. However, there is no way in hell I can tell you which of the eighty-seven different 308 models fired those rounds!' she shouted at him as she paced angrily around him, all her frustration and panic and fear for Kate seeping into her words. Tony just stood there, letting her vent at him. He knew that if she got it out of her system, it would allow her to do her job better, so he'd just accept her anger being taken out on him for now.

'The rounds are Lapua' he replied quietly and calmly.

'What?!' she asked in annoyance.

'Lapua's made the ammo, logos on the rim' he explained. Abby just shook it off. It didn't matter. Her resolve broke and she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.

'Tony, What are we gonna do if she doesn't make it?' she whispered, sounding so afraid it hurt Tony to hear.

'We're not, we've gotta believe that. Kate's tough… she'll pull through' Tony whispered gently in her ear. He knew it didn't mean much, and it would hurt all the more if Kate didn't pull through, but right now he was trying to convince himself too. He needed Kate! She was his partner! No matter how much he annoyed her, she always had his back, and he always had her's, he couldn't go on without that!

As the two of them stood there hugging, they were horribly unaware of a cross-target on a sniper rifle being trained on them, they had no clue that a gun was about to be fired, they had no idea about anything amiss as a finger moved onto the trigger.

…

Gibbs was just walking around the side of the building, right by Abby's lab, a cup of coffee in hand as he let the rain soak him, when he suddenly heard a zipping noise and he flinched back, only to hear a window shatter and Abby yelled out as a loud bang, a gunshot, echoed around him.

With wide eyes and his stomach in his throat, he let his coffee fall to the ground as he took off running, all the while praying that Abby had been… no, she couldn't be… not his sweet innocent Abby, not her too!

…

'Ah!' Abby yelled as Tony threw her to the floor, _just_ missing being hit by a bullet someone had fired into her lab. Tony landed on top of her, so she was looking up at him, pinned to the floor under his body.

'You hit?' he asked her, cautiously looking up towards where the shot had come from.

'No. You're heavy' she groaned.

'Sorry' he whispered as he rolled off her. He then dragged her over to the wall so they were out of sight of the window, and thankfully the gunman. Abby looked at Tony as he crouched next to her. She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed.

'God, no wonder you're so heavy, Tony, you're all muscle' she commented.

'Shush' Tony hushed her, drawing his gun and looking up at the window.

'Packing a nice booty too' Abby said, patting his bum. Tony turned to her with a frown.

'Hey! Is this how you deal with getting shot at?' he hissed at her.

'I don't know, it's my first time' she shrugged. At that moment Gibbs came running into her lab, his gun already drawn.

'Abby?!' he cried out in worry.

'Boss, down. We're taking fire' Tony quickly told him, and Gibbs rushed across the room, turning off all the lights before he threw himself to the floor, skidding over to where Tony and Abby were taking cover.

'You ok?' he asked Abby gently.

'Yeah' she nodded weakly. Gibbs nodded too, immensely relieved that Abby hadn't been hurt before he turned his attention to Tony.

'Close off Anacostia Park between the bridges. Tell metro cops it's a crime scene' Gibbs ordered him.

'Ok' Tony nodded, and stood up to do just that, when Gibbs reached over Abby and grabbed his arm, pulling him back down.

'Hey! What if he has a night vision scope?' Gibbs hissed at him for his foolish lapse of memory.

'That's a good point; boss' Tony winced, before he crawled quickly out of the room, keeping his head down as much as possible. When he was gone, Gibbs turned to Abby.

'I will get you bulletproof glass' Gibbs assured her, placing a small kiss to her forehead.

'There's no such thing, Gibbs' Abby shook her head.

'Ok, bullet resistant glass' he amended. Abby still looked troubled though when she replied.

'Ari didn't shoot at you and hit Kate by mistake did he? He's after me now' she said fearfully

'I was walking by that window when he fired' Gibbs tried to make it sound like he had been the target… but his gut was telling him it was Abby, not him. Another wave of guilt washed over him. First Kate was put into hospital, and now Abby was attacked in her own lab. And it was his entire fault!

'You're just saying that to make me feel safe' Abby shook her head.

'I'll keep you safe Abby, I promise' Gibbs promised her. He'd failed Kate, but he wouldn't fail anyone else. He'd keep them all safe, that was a promise and if Ari tried to hurt anymore of his people, that bastard was signing his own death warrant… even more than it already was.

…

Ducky sat alone at his desk. It wasn't really necessary for him to be there, he knew that, but he just felt like he should be, in case there was anything, anything at all; he could do to help his friends, to catch the bastard that had hurt Kate. And then as if summoned by his thoughts of her, Kate, or more actually a vision of the woman, appeared to him.

_(I appreciate you coming in to help the others, they need someone calm more than ever, especially Tony)_ 'Kate' smiled at him. She was wearing a simple white dress, like an angel's, and was leaning against the edge of his desk. He turned and smiled up at her.

'Yes, I know how close you two are despite the fact that you both fight like cats and dogs' he said in amusement.

_(We may fight Ducky, but when that bitch infected Tony it took all my willpower to stay with him and not go hunt the cow down myself. So it's not surprising he'd do the same for me now that I'm in hospital)_ 'Kate' explained gently.

'Why are you in hospital? I mean I know why… but, you could have killed Ari right here in autopsy, stopped all this before he got you. Why did you hesitate?' Ducky couldn't help but wonder. 'Kate' looked thoughtfully for a moment before replying.

_(His eyes. There was something in his eyes that made me not want to kill him)_ she sighed. Ducky frowned at her.

'His eyes were ice to me' he shook his head. 'Kate' was about to reply, when suddenly the doors to Autopsy slid open and she faded as Ducky turned to face a pissed-off looking Gibbs.

'Something wrong Jethro?' he asked him. Gibbs came over and sat on the corner of his desk.

'Ari fired into Abby's lab' he said, and he sounded furious about it, which was to be expected.

'Good Lord' Ducky gapped at him.

'It had to come from across the river from Anacostia Park' Gibbs commented and Ducky scowled at him for leaving him hanging like that.

'Well was Abigail hurt?' he demanded, annoyed that Gibbs hadn't immediately clarified that point.

'No. She's a little shook up, Tony's with her' Gibbs shook his head.

'In the lab?' Ducky asked incredulously.

'In the squad room, writing up an incident report. Why are you here Duck? It's late' Gibbs noted.

'Well… I don't know, I thought I could help' Ducky shrugged. Gibbs sighed. Nothing could help this, the only way it would stop, was when Ari was dead.

'I've lost men in combat. You hope you won't, you know you will' Gibbs said forlornly.

'This is different' Ducky shook his head. This was using the dead to hurt the living; it was making others suffer rather than putting them out of their misery immediately.

'But it shouldn't be. Kate is an agent; she knows she has to lay her life on the line every single day. But your right, it's different' Gibbs sighed.

'You just said it, you've lost men, have you ever lost a woman? Let's just pray that you don't. Just face it Jethro, you and I are a couple of old chauvinists. Women will never be equal in our eyes till their equal in death' Ducky said wisely.

'Why Ducky? Why Kate, why not me? Why is she the one suffering in hospital?' Gibbs demanded.

'Well, maybe he meant to hit you? Hitting Kate could have been an accident, which explains why she isn't dead. If that bastard wanted her dead, she would be' Ducky stated.

'You're right. Same with Abby. Him snipping her means he's after my people, women first' Gibbs realized.

'Then he's torturing you. One has to wonder what made him such a sadist' Ducky said thoughtfully, and Gibbs rounded on his angrily.

'I don't give a damn! I just wanna kill the bastard!' he growled, before he stormed out of Autopsy towards the elevator. As he went, the vision of Kate reappeared.

'Oh Caitlin, you'd better pull through or he's going to be unbearable' Ducky sighed and 'Kate' laughed cheerfully. That was so true after all.

…

Once Abby had managed to calm her nerves slightly, she had gone straight down to the evidence lock up to examine the car. Targeting _her_ she could live with, hurting _Kate_, no way was anyone ever going to get away with that!

Now she was determined to pull something from the car to work with, and McGee was helping her. She was leant over into the trunk of the car so that her bum was in the air, and McGee was stood directly behind her, making not attempt to at least try and be subtle as he looked at her backside.

'Hey, McGee, take a look at this! I think... it's a .308' Abby grunted as she bent her arm back towards McGee. In her hand was a pair of pliers, and pinched between the pliers was a bullet Abby had recovered from the car.

When McGee just stood there, she sighed and let him know that she was onto him.

'Stop staring at my butt and get me an evidence jar!' she ordered. McGee hastily picked up a small evidence jar and held it under the bullet.

'Drop it' he said softly. Abby did so and the bullet lightly felt into the evidence jar, which McGee then sealed, before going back to staring at Abby's butt. He kept looking for a few moments, before he felt eyes on his back and turning, he jumped when he saw Gibbs standing there, frowning at him.

'I found another one!' Abby called as McGee stuttered at the scary boss.

'Boss, uh, we, we, we, we found a .308 slug' he stammered out.

'Two. They were plugged in the trunk' Abby said as she leaned back and stood up straight, turning to face the two men, as McGee got her another evidence jar.

'These fired by that dirtbag in the warehouse?' Gibbs wanted to know, looking at another two jars with more bullets in them.

'Yes. Those, I found in the right side of the car. Nine mill. Slugs' Abby nodded, pointing out the gunshot holes where she had recovered them from.

'Ari missed with his first shot, hit the controller with his second' McGee added.

'Where were you before you took cover?' Gibbs turned to him. McGee walked around the car and crouched down where he had been when he had taken fire at the warehouse. Gibbs crouched beside him, looking at a bullet hole near McGee's head.

'Uh, right here' he stated.

'Tony's right. You do owe that terrorist a thank you' Gibbs commented as he stood up at his full height again. At that moment the elevator doors' dinged open and Tony walked out, heading straight to Gibbs.

'He didn't police his brass again. Metro PD found a .308 casing in the park next to tire tracks' he reported.

'And?' Gibbs pressed him.

'Nothing. I was waiting for you to tell me to tell them to bring the evidence here A.S.A.P' Tony answered. Gibbs looked at him pointedly.

'What? I have to tell you that, DiNozzo?' he said coolly.

'You always do' Tony shrugged in response.

'Tell Metro PD to...' Gibbs started before Tony spoke over him.

'Already did, boss. Oh, and by the way, the director wants to see you up in MTAC' Tony smirked cockily at Gibbs as he got into the elevator and the doors closed. Tony turned around to see Abby frowning at him and McGee looking confused by his behaviour.

'Why are you baiting Gibbs?' she demanded.

'Trying to get him to stop being nice' Tony replied without hesitation.

'I like him nice' McGee noted aloud. Tony and Abby just looked at each other, before they simultaneously slapped him around the head.

…

When Gibbs entered the dark MTAC room, he was met with the sight of a desert mountain landscape on the main screen. To the side of the room by the computers were several people, and the Director, Morrow, was sat watching the screen in one of the chairs. Gibbs slowly deposited himself into the chair next to his boss.

'What do you have?' Morrow asked, skipping the pleasantries and getting straight to the point.

'Brass from Ari's sniper's nest. Three bullets. Tire tracks in Anacostia Park, where he fired a shot across the river into our forensics lab' Gibbs listed in a quiet voice.

'Unusual for a sniper not to police his brass, isn't it?' Morrow wondered curiously.

'Yes, sir' Gibbs nodded.

'I've received calls from every director I know promising to hunt down this sniper as if he'd wounded one of their own' Morrow stated.

'FBI might be the most help. Ari Haswari is their mole' Gibbs replied.

'I endorsed your recommendation to award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Special Agent Todd' Morrow informed him.

'Thank you, sir. She'd probably said doesn't deserve it but without her the drone would have hit its target' Gibbs said. He knew Kate probably wouldn't want it, she believed that actions were more important than recognition, but he felt that she had earned it, for taking two bullets for him.

'According to your after-action report, no one actually saw the sniper who shot Agent Todd' Morrow commented.

'Ari was on a rooftop 600 meters away' Gibbs informed him.

'Extraordinary shot' Morrow observed.

'No, sir, not really' Gibbs said stiffly. After all, that shot had landed one of _his_ people in hospital, and there was _nothing_ extraordinary about that to him.

'You were a sniper with the Corps, weren't you?' Morrow asked curiously.

'Two tours' Gibbs nodded in confirmation.

'Vietnam?' Morrow asked, and Gibbs chuckled slightly.

'I'm not that old, sir. Panama and Desert Storm' he corrected.

'Thought you were older' Morrow noted before the two men fell silent, listening to the others in the room, those clearly working on a mission involve the images on the screen.

'Target vehicle approaching. We have a hard lock' a woman in the first row stated.

'Target confirmed. Engage. Weapon free' a man at the computer typing stated into his headset.

'Good lock, on target' another man said. On the screen, a large vehicle was blown to pieces in a smoking ball of fire and ash.

'Where was I?' Morrow turned his attention back to Gibbs.

'Avoiding using Ari's name and the word sniper in the same sentence... sir' Gibbs scowled slightly.

'Your anger is understandable, Jethro. One of your people has been hurt. You want payback' Morrow observed.

'Don't you sir?' Gibbs asked.

'It's a passion I can't afford' Morrow shook his head.

'You honestly think it wasn't Ari?' Gibbs challenged.

'No, but there are those who do' Morrow pointed out.

'Those who ran him. Those who thought they had the Holy Grail of moles. Those people covering their asses right now' Gibbs frowned at the thought of those cowardly turncoats.

'Make sure you cover yours when you bring him in' Morrow warned him.

'Won't be a problem, sir. But I won't be bringing him in' Gibbs said in a tone that left no room for argument.

'Anyway, you're not my problem anymore, Jethro' Morrow said after a moment's silence as he rose from his chair to his feet.

'You firing me, sir?' Gibbs asked with a raised eyebrow but Morrow shook his head.

'I've been offered a Deputy Director's position at Homeland Security' he explained.

'You'd leave NCIS, sir?' Gibbs looked at him incredulously.

'Well, the agency could use some younger blood' Morrow shrugged.

'Well, who'd be replacing you, sir?' Gibbs asked, blinking when Morrow just stared silently at him.

'Not me!' he quickly pointed out. At this Morrow let out a low chuckle.

'Much as I like you, Jethro, I would not shoot NCIS in the head. He's your problem now, Director' Morrow called over to a woman sitting in the front row of seats. Gibbs turned to look at her, and when she turned around, his eyes widened slightly. He knew her… so well.

The woman had deep red hair tied back in a tight bun, and she was wearing a sharp black suit. Her face was pretty and her eyes were dark, but despite her obvious beautiful, her expression was the image of seriousness at that moment. She smiled slightly at Gibbs.

'Hello, Jethro' she greeted him. Gibbs' mouth hung open slightly, his mind racing back to when they had last crossed paths, several years ago in Paris, where things had got… heated between them… and their sheets.

'Should we skip the "you haven't changed a bit" bull?' she smirked when he didn't reply, but her words snapped him out of his surprise.

'Why start lying to each other now, Jen?' he grinned at her.

'Any problem taking orders from me?' she wanted to know.

'As Director or as a woman?' Gibbs answered with his own question.

'Either' she said simply, and Gibbs shook his head.

'It was six years ago. The past won't be a problem. You were a damn good agent. Especially undercover' he complimented her, walking over and smiling down at her.

'Jethro' she smiled up at him.

'Madam Director' he looked down at her, pride burning in his eyes. Jenny was one of the best agents he had worked with, and he was proud to have been the one to teach her a lot of the things she knew, to have seen her grow into the magnificent woman she now was.

He was pleased for his old partner; she had done well for herself. But he couldn't help but be nervous by her sudden reappearance in his life. On the one hand, knowing your director so well was a plus because it meant you could have backup with the top brass. On the other, it was a disadvantage because they knew you well enough to know where you're B. and would come down on you harder. One thing Gibbs was certain of, he'd have his game set and matched with Jennifer Shepard on his back.

**...**

**And there's the first part of 'Kill Ari (Part 1)' : ) Now I know it'll very Kate light, but be fair, it's hard to include her when she's lying in a hospital bed after being shot. So 'Kill Ari (Parts 1 and 2)' are both going to be similar to the actual episodes, and than after that Kate will be involved a lot more. Plus there are some large changes, mostly in the visions they all had of Kate, and Abby going to the hospital was different, so please just try and stick with it through the next few chapters. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a review to let me know : )**


	4. Kill Ari (Part 1), New & Old Friends

**Hey! Here's part 2 of Kill Ari (Part 1) : ) Thank you so much to those readers who reviewed, and I'm glad people seem to like where this story is going : ) Soon we'll be to Kate, I promise. But other than changing the conversations with the visions of Kate, there isn't much I can do to include her yet : ( But not to worry, two more chapters and Kate will shine : ) So, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please remember that NCIS does not belong to me : )**

**...**

**Kill Ari (Part 1) - New & Old Friends **

Gibbs had spent nearly an hour talking with Jenny in MTAC. They had been catching up with each other, and Gibbs had been filling her in on the details into his current investigation. He had listed everything he had so far, but Jenny was still looking unconvinced by the end of their chat. They were just leaving MTAC as she voiced her thoughts.

'You have no physical evidence linking Ari to the shootings. No wonder agencies here and abroad have doubts' she commented as they headed towards the stairs, Gibbs a few steps ahead of her.

'This bastard already shot one my people. He's trying to hurt more, and I'll tell you something else, no suit with a tight sphincter is getting in my way, and that includes you, Jen' Gibbs growled out, and he jogged down a few of the stairs, before Jenny shouted at him.

'Special Agent Gibbs!' she called him back and Gibbs scowled but took a few steps back up towards her.

'On the job, it is 'Director Shepard' or 'ma'am'' she glared at him challengingly.

'Okay, what about off the job?' Gibbs asked cheekily.

'There won't be any 'off the job,' Agent Gibbs' Jenny stated firmly.

'That's too bad. I missed you, Jen' Gibbs said softly.

'Don't make this difficult, Jethro' Jenny almost pleaded in response.

'Fair enough. Won't happen again. Director' Gibbs shrugged as they both began walking down the stairs.

'We can continue this conversation in private' she offered as they went.

'I've gotta change my clothes; we can talk in my car on the way to the house' Gibbs said as they reached the ground floor.

'Gibbs!' Jenny protested in annoyance. Some things never changed and Gibbs' inability to sit around and wait was one of them.

'Hey, I got an agent lying in a hospital bed and a sniper on the loose. I do not have ten minutes to spare' he pointed out. Jenny scowled at him slightly but she had to admit, he had a point.

'Tony, where are we?' he asked as they reached the Squad Room. He cast a curious look in Jenny's direction before answering.

'McGee and Abby are working firearms analysis. I'm matching tire tracks to vehicles' Tony answered, looking discreetly at Jenny over his piece of paper.

'No one's to leave the building. McGee's on protection detail with Abby. We'll be back in an hour' Gibbs told him before he led Jenny off towards the elevator. Tony just watched them go; his interested peaked, before he jumped slightly, as what he knew to be impossible appeared before him.

It was Kate, in a tartan skirt, a white blouse complete with a red bow, and a dark navy jacket. Her hair was short, sexy and black, and she had very, very red lipstick on.

_(Your mother should have washed your mind out with soap. Gibbs leaves with a woman and your only thought is: Nooner!)_ 'Kate' smirked at Tony, leaning against her desk.

'Was not' he grinned at her.

_(Was too. I always know what you're thinking, Tony)_ she laughed, but it soon faded when she noticed Tony looking at her intently.

_(What? What are you up to?)_ she asked, before Tony looked down slightly and gave himself away. 'Kate' looked down at herself and let out a yelp of surprise.

_(Tony! I just got shot and I might die! And you're having a sexual fantasy?!)_ she shouted at him.

'Can't help it' Tony smirked. Suddenly there was a gust of wind which blew 'Kate's' skirt up, much to her horror, revealing her in white panties laced with red bows.

_(DiNozzo!)_ 'Kate' shrieked at him as she pushed her skirt down.

_(Stop that now!)_ she screamed and the wind died down.

'God you are so boring' he teased.

_(I am not! I just don't like men, and by that I mean pigs like you, objectifying me like that!)_ 'Kate' scowled at him. Tony looked thoughtful for a moment, before he asked something that was bugging him.

'Do you really think of me like that? A predator degrading women?' he asked curiously. It interested him, more than he'd be willing to admit, what Kate thought of him. 'Kate' looked thoughtful too before she replied, choosing her words carefully.

_(I don't think you'd ever intentionally hurt a girl's feelings… but yeah, sometimes I think you don't realize that some women want more than just meet em, screw em, never see em)_ 'Kate' said gently.

'And you, what would you want?' Tony asked curiously.

_(Someone that cares, someone I enjoy being around, someone that wasn't afraid to admit how much he loves me) _'Kate' said forlornly.

'So not a pig like me?' Tony asked and 'Kate' laughed.

_(No Tony, not a pig like you)_ she teased him. Tony suddenly had an evil grin on his face.

'And like the pig I am, I'll let you in on a dirty little secret I've been harbouring. I picture you naked… so much' he grinned broadly as 'Kate's' clothes vanished… revealing every little bit of her flesh.

_(DINOZZO!)_ 'Kate' screamed in rage as she faded away before Tony's eyes, as his attention was no longer on the vision of his partner, but instead on a young woman that was looking at him in amusement.

The woman herself was… scorching. She had lightly tanned skinned and eyes so dark they were like chocolate flecked with gold and green. Her hair was sleek shiny and black, and currently pulled back into a ponytail, under a purple bandana. She was wearing a white t-shirt under a green jacket and pale cream trousers. A rucksack was slung over one soldier, and a 'Star of David' hung on a necklace around her neck, and her figure was… perfect. She was gorgeous!

As soon as Tony noticed her watching him bemusedly, he hammered on a random button of his phone in a desperate attempt to appear like he had been on a phone call and not imagining his partner, his wounded partner, butt naked.

'I'll call you back. Hi. I was just...' he trailed off, but the woman replied, in an Israeli accent no less.

'Having phone sex?' she guessed.

'Phone sex, no. Uh, charades' he came up with. 'Charades?' What kind of lousy cover story was that?!

'Charades? Like a...' the woman faded out, pretending to operate a movie camera in her hands.

'You've played' Tony beamed at her.

'Never on the telephone' the woman stated as she moved around his desk.

'Yeah, my partner and I were coming up with quotes for Saturday night' Tony said easily, putting his hands behind his head and relaxing slightly.

'You play charades on Saturday night?' the woman scoffed, clearly making fun of his lack of a social life.

'To kill time before I go clubbing. Who are you?' he decided to change the awkward conversation away from himself.

'Ziva David, Mossad' the woman, Ziva, introduced herself, showing him her ID badge.

'Your Israeli?' Tony guessed.

'Very good, the way you made that connection: Mossad, Israeli' Ziva smirked, moving away from him and standing in the centre of the Squad Room looking around curiously.

'What can I do for you Miss David?' Tony asked, trying to sound polite. Something about her threw him off, and he wanted her on her way before he embarrassed himself any further. That woman just… intimidated him, and he did NOT like it!

'Nothing, I'm here to see Special Agent Gibbs' Ziva stated.

'How do you know I'm not Gibbs?' Tony asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. Ziva scoffed slightly in response before replying.

'Gibbs?' she asked disbelievingly as she sat down in McGee's chair by his desk, crossing her legs and looking at Tony pointedly.

'He'll be back in an hour. Are you sure I can't help you?' Tony asked her, sounding slightly frustrated. Ziva tutted mockingly, shrugging her shoulders slightly.

'I don't think so' she smirked at him. Tony sighed slightly, before he plastered a smile on his face and got to his feet, slowly approaching the irritating woman, or least, the one he perceived to be irritating.

'We got off to a bad start, I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo. I wasn't playing charades, I was thinking about my partner. She was shot, she's in hospital' Tony explained.

'And you were thinking about her naked? Or is it a him?' Ziva teased.

'No, no it's a her. And I wasn't thinking about her naked…No, I wasn't... Yes I was. I...I was just. Look, I'm not the only man who does it' he defended himself.

'Oh, women do it too, with handsome men. And even an occasional woman' Ziva carried on teasing him. Tony inwardly sighed, that was so like Kate, teasing him constantly. He'd miss that if she… no, he couldn't think like that!

'Now you're teasing me' he answered Ziva as he went back to his desk and sat down again.

'Does your partner tease you?' she asked quietly.

'Not about sex, Kate is kinda puritanical' Tony shook his head.

'Sorry' Ziva shrugged.

'Well it doesn't matter, I'm not interested in her, we're...partners' Tony tried to explain.

'Isn't she attractive?' Ziva wondered.

'She is, but not to me' Tony shrugged.

'Then why do you imagine her naked?' Ziva asked. Tony sighed; this really wasn't getting them anywhere!

'Miss David, you can sit there and slouch provocatively for an hour, if you'd like. Or you can tell me what you need and maybe I can help' he said, a lightly scowl appearing on his face. Ziva pretended to look thoughtfully, before she got serious.

'You can't help because I'm here to stop Special Agent Gibbs from killing a Mossad Officer' she explained as she walked around to the front of his desk.

'Ari Haswari?' Tony sat up straighter, anger in his eyes.

'Yes' Ziva nodded. Tony leaned forward so he could talk quietly, and when Ziva leaned in, he replied.

'I'd wish ya luck, but I want to bastard dead too for hurting my partner' he growled angrily. Ziva sighed and stepped back, and the two of them fell into an awkward silence as they waited.

…

At Gibbs' house, Jenny was sat reading a magazine in his basement whilst he got changed upstairs. When he came down in a new outfit, she looked over the top of her magazine at him, before jerking her head towards the large wooden frame of a boat that Gibbs was clearly building.

'Is this the same boat that you were building six years ago?' she asked, surprized it had taken him so long.

'Nope' Gibbs shook his head.

'What happened to it?' Jenny asked curiously.

'I burned her' Gibbs said nonchalantly.

'Why would you...You named it after an ex-wife?' Jenny guessed, smirking up at him slightly.

'Let's go' Gibbs said to avoid the question, turning out the lamp Jenny was using.

'Which one?' she asked teasingly as he walked away.

'You know damn well which one' he scowled at her, leaning against a wooden beam of the boat.

'Why didn't you change the name?' she couldn't help but ask.

'Because, it would matter, every time I went out on her I'd think of Diane' he frowned grumpily.

'You could have sold it' Jenny suggested.

'And watch some other guy sail off on her?' Gibbs scoffed. Jenny smirked and quirked an eyebrow at him.

'You didn't care who sailed off on Diane. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you are a strange man' she smiled at him.

'Me? Ha! You were a good Agent Jen' he commented a little harshly.

'Were?' she scowled at him.

'Yeah, Directors job is pure politics' Gibbs frowned. He couldn't understand why someone with so much talent would give it up to ride a desk and play nice with the top brass. He was proud at how far she had come, but she should have stopped and went slower… with her career, and with him.

'I'm good at politics, NCIS needs someone who can shake the money tree on the hill and work with sister agencies' Jenny defended herself.

'Wait, you won't call a boat a 'she', but it's 'sister agencies?'' Gibbs exclaimed in annoyance.

'I'm a schizoid libber. It comes from working with chauvinists like you' Jenny taunted him.

'I can't believe you'd give up fieldwork for rubber chicken dinners' Gibbs shook his head.

'I don't think they serve that dish at Palena' Jenny mocked him.

'Never heard of it' Gibbs shrugged as he started up the stairs.

'Why would you, it isn't takeout' Jenny quipped.

'So which of the tight sphincters is taking you out to dinner? Please tell me it's not Fornell' Gibbs grimaced at the thought.

'CBS Early Show. They want background before I go on TV' Jenny stated, and Gibbs' eyes widened in surprise. He hurried back down to her, getting right in front of her to try and make her see.

'Jen. Jen, you can't do that' he warned.

'Excuse me?' she scoffed at him telling her what to do. He wasn't her partner anymore! _She_ was _his_ boss!

'Ari is a chauvinists, he is taking out the women I work with before me' he willed her to understand the danger she'd be putting herself in.

'Jethro, people who should know don't believe Ari is the sniper, and you haven't provided any evidence to prove them wrong' Jenny reminded him.

'Have you ever doubted me?' Gibbs asked, looking her dead in the eye.

'Professionally, never' she shook her head.

'Why are you doubting me now?' he asked softly.

'I have to establish a working relationship with these people' she pointed out to him.

'Who are you gonna to side with Jen, them or me?' he wanted to know. Jenny just smirked at him.

'Give me a tough question' she said coolly. The two of them stayed silent after that, just looking into each other's eyes, willing the other to understand.

…

McGee sighed slightly as he leaned against the metal table in Abby's lab. It was beginning to get to him, the fact that Kate really might die, and Abby's music was NOT helping. Instead of her usual head-ache inducing racket, a slow, mournful haunted tune was blaring out, making him feel even more depressed than before.

'What is with this music?' he asked when he couldn't take any more of it.

'I'm playing it out of respect for Kate' Abby replied softly.

'I thought you were from New Orleans' McGee noted.

'So?' Abby shrugged, not seeing the relevance.

'Well, don't they play jazz at funerals? Because I'll tell you this Abby, Kate will NOT die… she can't' McGee said, trying to convince himself as well as Abby.

Abby just turned around and launched herself into her arms.

'I know… we need her… we… she won't die' she whispered into his shoulder. McGee just patted her back. After a moment, they broke apart, and Abby turned quickly to her computer again.

'Now go on McGee, shoo, go back to the squad room and let me do my job, because when Kate wakes up I want to be able to tell her that we've got the bastard' Abby said with new determination.

'I can't' McGee shook his head and Abby turned around, looking at him suspiciously.

'Why?' she demanded.

'Gibbs...Gibbs told me to watch over you' McGee admitted. Abby smiled slightly.

'That is so sweet!' she smirked, noting how McGee's ears turned a light shade of red before she turned away victoriously and busied herself in her work.

…

After their talk before, Ziva had been patiently pacing around the office, whilst throwing glances at Tony every now and then. It didn't take a genius to see that he was angry about his partner being shot, and so she once again tried to engage him in harmless conversation. After all, if she befriended him, he was more likely to be easier to convince of Ari's innocence which would make her job a lot easier.

'You're from a wealthy family' she commented casually from her position by the filing cabinet next to Tony's desk.

'Really?' Tony scoffed.

'Born and raised on the East Coast. New England boarding school. Spent some time in the Midwest and Philadelphia' Ziva said slightly. She knew all that of course, she had studied everyone at NCIS she was likely to run into, but Tony just assumed that she was making astute guesses.

'How would you know that?' Tony frowned at her. Before she could answer, the elevator doors opened and Gibbs and Jenny came striding out, both looking rather annoyed.

'Shalom Jen' Ziva smiled at the woman by Gibbs.

'Shalom' Jenny replied as the two woman French kissed.

'Did I miss it?' Ziva asked.

'Yes, you did. But we didn't' Jenny nodded.

Tony couldn't help but wonder what 'it' was, or who that red head was. He slowly got up and approached Gibbs' desk, where his boss was sat, to ask the obvious question.

'You first' Gibbs whispered before Tony could even open his mouth.

'Ziva David. Mossad. She's here to stop you from whacking Ari. Yours?' Tony asked.

'Director Jenny Shepard. Same mission' Gibbs replied. Tony's eyebrows rose up his forehead. So that woman was a director, which meant that her authority would trump Gibbs'. Tony was glad he had an umbrella because very soon there'd be a pissing match.

'Which agency?' he wanted to know.

'Ours' Gibbs said softly. Tony chuckled, thinking it was a joke. After all, if Morrow had left, there'd be an announcement to wish him luck and to welcome the new director. When he saw that Gibbs wasn't joking, Tony's smile faded. After all, Gibbs always had a way of finding things out before he should.

'Yeah?' he asked with a raised eyebrow. At that moment, Ziva and Jenny approached them, evidently done with their own conversation.

'Special Agent Gibbs. Ziva David. Mossad' Jenny introduced.

'Ziva' Ziva smiled, offering him her hand. Gibbs took it and they shook hands.

'Director Shepard has spoken often of you' she stated as they broke apart.

'Really?' Gibbs turned to Jenny, hoping that she hadn't spared some of the more… intimate moments of their partnership.

'Ziva and I worked anti-terrorist ops since 9/11. You saw one today in MTAC' Jenny said by way of explanation as to how the two women knew each other.

'That was yours?' Gibbs turned back to Ziva.

'I only acquired the Intel' Ziva shrugged with a sly smile.

'Excuse me' she said as her phone started ringing, and she strode away towards the windows, hoping for some privacy. Meanwhile, Tony was looking at Jenny curious, who smirked at him when she noticed his gaze on her.

'Yes, I really am the new NCIS director' she smirked. Tony looked a little embarrassed at being caught out, but quickly recovered.

'Yeah. Wow' he muttered as she walked away. Gibbs rolled his eyes slightly, before he followed her, slapping Tony around the head on his way.

'Good to have you back, boss' Tony called after him. Gibbs glanced at Ziva as he passed her on his way, but she was busy having a conversation herself, in a foreign language to boot, so he left her too it. He grabbed a coffee and quickly returned to his desk, and was just sitting down as Ziva ended her call and approached him again.

'Miss David, whose balls get cut off if Ari's not a Mossad mole but a terrorist?' he asked, trying to bait her.

'Mine, I suppose. Since I'm his control officer' she replied calmly, not rising to it.

'Ah, they promote control officers young in Mossad.' he commented.

'Have to. The good ones are dead at your age' Ziva smirked.

'Do you know how I located Ari's terrorist cell?' he wanted to know.

'GPS fix off his encrypted cell phone. He wanted you to know the terrorists' location so you could stop the missile instead of him, which would have necessitated blowing his cover' Ziva explained.

'Only an NSA satellite can GPS an encrypted phone. Ari didn't know I had that asset' Gibbs countered. Ziva let out a dry chuckle. At that moment, Jenny returned, and silently slipped into the chair at Kate's desk.

'You give him less credit than he gives you. Who hung up first, you or him? Ari knows a fix takes only 19 seconds. When Sharon visited Bush, Ari's Hamas cell kidnapped Agent Todd. Why didn't he kill her instead of freeing her to warn the Secret Service?' Ziva asked challenging, and Gibbs glared at her darkly. Sensing trouble, Jenny got up and stood nearby, ready to make herself heard if need be.

'I don't know. Why don't you arrange a meet, and he can tell me?' Gibbs growled menacingly.

'Ari Haswari is a Mossad operative undercover in Hamas. He hasn't turned on us or you. He didn't shot Agent Todd' Ziva argued heatedly.

'Gibbs, even if you're right, we owe them proof' Jenny put in.

'That's all we ask. Don't kill the wrong man' Ziva stated firmly.

'Like Mossad did in Norway?' Gibbs taunted. Ziva slammed her hand down on his desk angrily.

'That mistake cost us dearly!' she shouted at him.

'Not as dearly as the Palestinian waiter you killed' Gibbs glared at her, just as angry. Ziva just scowled before turning to Jenny, clearly wanting her to do something about her agent.

'Ziva, assure your deputy director that, even though Ari Haswari is a suspect, no action will be taken unless we have evidentiary proof' Jenny assured her, before she turned on Jenny, fixing him in her gaze.

'Proof before action' she said in a warning tone, leaving no room for argument. But Gibbs was more of a man of action, not arguments with the brass, and if he had to go throw Jenny, Ziva, hell even Tony if he had too, he'd get the bastard that had dared to hurt Kate, and that was a promise that nobody would stop him from keeping.

…

McGee was sitting in the ballistics section of Abby's lab, at her desk, his arms behind his head. The window had been replaced, Abby was still working, and he was bored. He knew that protecting Abby was beyond important; she meant… the world to him. If anything ever happened to her… he couldn't bear to even think about it.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a little helpless. Kate has been hurt. She could die at any moment, and he was just sitting there! He felt like he should be doing more to help out, he felt as though he was letting not only the team down, but Kate as well.

He jumped when a voice called his name.

_(Timothy)_ 'Kate' said as she appeared in front of him. He blinked up at her, his mouth hanging open. She wasn't there, there was no way possible for Kate Todd to be stood in front of him at that moment. She was lying in a bed miles away, but there she was, large as life.

She was dressed in a long flowing blue dress, her hair tied up into graceful ringlets that fell down around her shoulders. She looked beautiful, showing off her curving figure and her slender form at the same time. She was smiling warmly at him, and he instantly felt better.

_(You're not letting me or anybody else down by watching over Abby. In fact, if you weren't, you'd be running for your life when I got hold of you) _'Kate' assured him.

'Oh Kate, I don't doubt that… we're… we're going to get him for you, you know that right?' McGee had to ask.

_(I know. And you'll play your part. We're a team McGee. Together, there's nothing that can beat us. So stop looking so down, and play to your strengths) _'Kate' said kindly but firmly.

'And what are they? I don't know what my part in the team is' McGee admitted.

_(We all bring something different. Tony's the one with the Jokes and the Bravery, I'm the one with the Empathy and Emotions, you're the Brains and the Logic)_ 'Kate' explained gently.

'And Gibbs?' McGee asked with a raised eyebrow.

_(Gibbs is the Leader, and the one who knows… he knows us, he knows what to look for… he's our boss)_ 'Kate' said with undeniable pride in her voice. McGee would admit, he was very proud to serve under Gibbs too; that he had wanted McGee had made a lot of difference to his confidence.

'Thank you' he beamed at her. 'Kate' opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, she vanished just as the lab door slid open and Abby was in front of him.

'For what?' she asked.

'Oh… nothing. I was just… thinking about Kate' McGee admitted. Abby smiled at him brightly.

'Me too. I feel like she's here ya know. Still fighting back with us' Abby beamed at him as she grabbed his hand and led him to her computers. She could tell that right now he needed to be doing something, that sitting alone was making him feel helpless, and in her eyes, McGee was anything but helpless. He just needed to have faith in himself, like the kind she and Kate had in him.

…

Gibbs and Tony were in the elevator, one reason was so that Gibbs could go see if Abby and McGee had found anything, and the other was so Gibbs could talk to Tony without anyone overhearing.

'I want you on Ziva's ass' Gibbs said softly as soon as the doors were closed.

'She's not really my type boss...' Tony said cockily, before Gibbs slapped him around the head.

'To tail her' he growled out to clarify.

'I know that' Tony quickly amended.

'She's been in contact with Ari, it's the only why she could know I hung up on him' Gibbs explained his reasoning.

'Oh… I don't want you to get pissed...' Tony started nervously. He was actually afraid Gibbs would punch him in the face for what he was about to say.

'Thought you wanted me pissed?' Gibbs smirked.

'I did, it was kinda weird when you were being nice, not that you're not nice. I mean...Uh...' he fumbled over his words.

'Will ya spit it out DiNozzo?' Gibbs sighed in annoyance.

'What if Ziva's right and Ari know you'd trace the call? Maybe he wasn't the sniper?' Tony said with a raised eyebrow, inwardly cringing at the thought of the outburst to come, but thankfully it never came.

'She is right; Ari wanted me to raid the warehouse. He set me up, and it could Kate her life. She had better pull through because I'll tell you this DiNozzo, I'll go through ever office in Mossad until the bastard's dead, and Ziva David and Jenny Shepard are included in that' Gibbs growled out.

'Is he a mole or a terrorist?' Tony couldn't help but ask as the elevator doors dinged open and Gibbs strode out, heading towards Abby's door. Tony stood in the elevator, ready to go back up so he could get out and go trail Ziva.

'Whatever works to play his game' Gibbs glared at him.

'And if Ziva leads me to Ari?' Tony asked.

'Shadow him and call me' Gibbs said as though it were obvious.

'So you can bring him in?' Tony asked sceptically.

'Yeah, so I can bring him in...to autopsy' Gibbs added quietly as the elevator, and Tony, ascended and he walked into Abby's lab.

'Abs' he greeted, and she and McGee both span around to face him.

'Gibbs, good timing, let's talk guns' she grinned at him, gesturing at the metal table which was loaded with several large rifles, all of which Abby used in her ballistics testing. Abby immediately began to explain what she had found out from the evidence so far.

'The FBI database gave me six weapons whose rifling patterns fit the bullets you recovered. I've been able to eliminate all but three-two SWAT weapons; the Tango 51 and the Bravo 51. And this...' she was saying, pointing at one gun in particular, before Gibbs cut her off.

'My old friend. A Marine M-40 A-1 sniper rifle' Gibbs finished for her, picking the gun up and holding it up by his shoulder, looking into the eyepiece like he did back in his Marine Days.

'It looks sweet the way you own that, boss' McGee commented in admiration.

'Sweet?' Gibbs scoffed.

'Uh, yeah, it's an expression; it means...' McGee began before Gibbs angrily cut over him.

'Yeah, I know what it means, McGee. You think Ari looked "sweet" when he shot Kate?' he glared at his youngest agent.

'Of course not, boss' McGee quickly stammered out.

'My vote is for the Tango or Bravo 51's. What do you think, Gibbs?' Abby asked as she brought up several photographs of bullets on her computer screen, Gibbs looking over her shoulder for a better look.

'Your test rounds show more gouging than Ari's. He was hand-loading and moly-coating' Gibbs observed.

'You are so good!' Abby grinned at him.

'Moly-coating?' McGee repeated in confusion. Abby turned back to him to explain.

'Yeah. Molybdenum disulphide. It's a lubricant. It decreases barrel wear and increases accuracy' she informed him.

'McGee, run a trace on Tango and Bravo 51 sales last six weeks, Tri-State area. Check the Bravo first' Gibbs ordered as he looked at the larger pictures on the plasma screen.

'On it, boss' McGee replied as he rushed off to do his appointed task, leaving the two of them alone in the lab.

'Any prints on the brass?' Gibbs strode back over to Abby.

'No. Is your gut telling you something?' she wanted to know.

'Yeah. I need coffee' Gibbs said as he went to walk away. Abby span around and caught his arm, stopping him.

'No, Gibbs! Come on. This isn't just another investigation. Todd may be your agent, but Kate is my friend! So can you just stop it with the John Wayne stare and tell me what your gut says?!' she shouted at him.

'What don't I believe in, Abby?' Gibbs asked her. Abby frowned as she thought of many things that he didn't believe in.

'UFOs, mystics, coincidence, saying you're sorry, excuses... I could go on all night' she shrugged.

'As a Marine sniper, I used hand-loaded, Lapua, .308, boat-tail, full metal jacket, moly-coated bullets' Gibbs explained, and Abby's eyes widened in shock and horror.

'Gibbs...' she said softly, pityingly.

'You know what a sniper calls a Bravo 51?' he asked her.

'No' she admitted.

'A Kate' Gibbs growled before he stormed off. Abby was left alone. That bastard! How dare he grind the knife in further for Gibbs! Shooting Kate and mocking that by using a gun call 'A Kate'. It was… sick… disgusting… how dare he?! Abby was fuming, but she knew for sure now, Ari was going to be dead when Gibbs caught up with him.

…

On the other side of town, on a quiet street, a dark skinned man was walking out of a pharmacy. His name was Gerald, and he was in the pharmacy before he had been shot in the arm, by a terrorist no less, and now he suffered pain at least once every single day.

He sighed as he stepped out into the cold wet street and headed to his car. He had just sat down and had closed the door, and was about to start to ignition, when he nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand was placed on his shoulder, making him moan in pain.

He tensed up as he felt a gun poke into his neck, before he glanced at his rear mirror, and paled slightly. It was him, the bastard that he shot him, it was Ari!

'My shoulder hurts when it rains, too, Gerald' he whispered into Gerald's ear. Gerald just stared at him in the mirror, too shocked and afraid to reply.

…

Ducky was sitting at his desk, a picture of the whole team in his hands. Abby was laughing, her arm linked through a blushing McGee's arm, whilst Tony was laughing and using his fingers to put 'Bunny Ears' behind Kate's head, who was laughing whilst pretending to fight his hand away. Gibbs was just smiling in amusement at their antics, whilst Ducky laughed long and hard. His fingers brushed over Kate's face, she looked so happy, it hurt him to think that she may not smile and laugh like that ever again. He could only pray to god that she would not end up on his table for a very long time to come.

He sighed. He should really be heading home. His mother needed him know and he was doing no good there anyway. There was no body to give an autopsy, and the team were managing without him, so he had nothing that required his attention.

He placed the photograph on his desk and was about to put his coat on when his phone began to ring. He sighed, all he really wanted to do now was go home, but he knew he needed to answer the call, so reluctantly he did.

'Autopsy' he greeted whoever it was calling him.

'Hello, Doctor Mallard' a voice he had not heard in a long time said, but he'd know it anywhere.

'Gerald! How are you, my dear fellow?' he said happily. It was a nice distraction from the current crisis, a chance to catch up with an odd friend.

'I've been better' Gerald said nervously.

'Oh, what's wrong?' Ducky frowned. Poor Gerald had already had a rough time, he didn't deserve anything else on top of his injury.

'He's having flashbacks' a new voice said smugly.

'Who are you?' Ducky asked in confusion. There was something horribly familiar about that voice… he just couldn't place it.

'Oh, I'm hurt. You don't recognize my voice?' the voice asked sarcastically. That snide smug sarcasm, that confidence… and then it clicked.

'You bastard! ' Ducky seethed.

'You do remember me' Ari said happily.

'If you harm Gerald...' Ducky said to growl out.

'I have no intention of harming Gerald. I think one ruined shoulder is enough. It certainly is for me' Ari said nonchalantly.

'What do you want?' Ducky demanded.

'A professional courtesy; one doctor to another' Ari said casually, like they were old friends.

'Yes, well, I'd be most willing to provide a free autopsy' Ducky said, completely seriously.

'Doctor Mallard, I want to prove I didn't hurt Caitlin. I would never shot such… a fine American' Ari said snidely.

'Oh, and you'll prove that by taking Gerald hostage?' Ducky snipped.

'Gerald is free to go if you'll listen to my side of this incident' Ari offered.

'I'm listening' Ducky replied coldly.

'It's a long story and I'd hate to have somebody trace this call' Ari said, completely serious now.

'Well, no one is here, but me' Ducky said truthfully.

'It must be a horrible thought. The thought of perhaps having to give Caitlin an Autopsy, how is she doing?' Ari asked softly.

'She'll be a lot better when you're lying on my table' Ducky ground out.

'I don't doubt that' Ari said cockily, and Ducky rolled his eyes.

'Oh, get on with it' Ducky said in annoyance.

'Will you meet me alone?' Ari wanted to know.

'What happens to Gerald?' Ducky wanted to be clear on this point.

'Come alone and you can exchange places' Ari said firmly.

'Doctor, don't come. He'll kill you!' Gerald cried out in the background.

'Learn to trust, Gerald. I may have shot you in the shoulder, but I've never lied to you. Doctor?' Ari asked.

'You have my word' Ducky agreed. The last thing he wanted was to face that bastard again… but he had to save Gerald. He had already paid the price for Ducky's mistake, he had to rescue him, and he had to do it alone. Gibbs would shot first, ask later, and in that time, Ari could shot Gerald. No, he had to do this without telling anyone on the team.

'Thank you' Ari replied before he hung up. Ducky put his phone down and got to his feet quickly. He needed to get going and fast!

…

Gibbs was sitting alone in the squad room, silently thinking to himself. So it was no surprise when his vision of Kate reappeared to him, glaring at him from her own desk.

_(Revaluating your convictions? How many times did you tell me there's no such thing as a coincidence? )_ 'Kate' baited him, but before he could even open his mouth, Jenny walked towards him and 'Kate' was gone.

'Jethro, I know it's been a difficult day for both of us' Jenny said softly.

'That's what my DI use to say. Never believed him. Jen, you going to dinner with CBS?' he asked.

'I am' Jenny nodded.

'Don't do that interview...please' he pleaded softly. Jenny sighed, she trusted Gibbs more than anyone… so for him, she would try.

'I'll see if I can delay it a few days' she submitted.

'Thank you' Gibbs said gratefully. He didn't want anyone else, and especially Jenny, to get hurt due to him

'Good night, Jethro' she said quietly.

'Night' he whispered and Jenny walked towards the elevator. When the doors dinged open, she saw Ducky, dressed in his overcoat and hat, standing inside.

'Ducky, how nice to see you again' she greeted him warmly, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

'And you, congratulations' he said, taking off his hat and smiling slightly at her. Normally he'd be grinning at her… but right now he was too nervous to conjure a full convincing smile.

'Going home?' Jenny asked.

'Um, yes' Ducky said nervously as the doors started to close. He had no idea that right outside in the squad room, Gibbs has just heard every word he had said.

'Ducky' he cried, leaping to his feet and dashing towards the elevator, only to have the doors close in his face. He hammered on the button but it was too late.

'Damn it' he muttered angrily to himself.

…

Gerald was sitting in his car, staring straight ahead, doing his very best to ignore Ari who was sitting directly behind him, out of his sight which made him even more nervous, not that he would admit that to Ari of course.

'So, are you back at work, Gerald?' Ari asked, annoyingly casually, like this was all just a game too him, which sadly, Gerald figured to be true, and he was just a pawn in it.

'Next week' he ground out.

'I've always found that work is the best...' Ari began, but trailed off when he saw Ducky's Morgan drive up, parking on the opposite side. He had had Gerald text Ducky the location, and like a dream, there he was.

'A vintage Morgan, how Ducky. Flash your lights...' Ari ordered and Gerald did so.

'Roll down your window...' he demanded and again Gerald did as he was told.

'Now wait in the good doctor's car while we talk' Ari smirked, and Gerald slowly got out of the car, taking small controlled steps towards Ducky's car on the opposite side of the street.

Ducky was slowly heading in the opposite direction, heading towards the danger as Gerald walked away. He was glad to say the least; his life was a fair exchange to save Gerald's. He had lived many years, done many things, and if he had to die, at least he could give someone else the chance to go live their own life.

As he drew closer and closer, the old doctor, though obviously unable to see them, could feel the target-cross lines being aligned over his forehead, and he mentally braced himself for the end as he bravely put one foot in front of the other, fearing but accepting that the path for him was about to reach its end.

**...**

**Oh no! Poor Ducky and Gerald! : O So, there's the end of the first episode in season three : ) Next two chapter are obviously going to be Kill Ari (Part 2), and then we can get to Kate : ) Yay! So, please leave me a lovely review telling me what was good or bad, and I hope to see you in the next chapter : )**


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